Oliver Essex was born in Great King Street, Hockley, Birmingham, England in 1855. He was articled to William Henry Ward (1844-1917) in Birmingham from 1874 to 1877 and remained as his assistant until 1883. He qualified as an architect in 1883 and that year commenced practice as an architect that year in Birmingham. He also opened an office in Chantry Lane, London in 1886.
In 1886 [or 1887 - sources differ] he formed a partnership with John Coulson Nicol (1848-1933) as Essex & Nicol.
In 1892 John Goodman (1864-1951) was taken as a partner and the name of the practice changed to Essex, Nicol & Goodman.
In 1905 Nicol withdrew from Essex, Nicol & Goodman and formed the partnership Nicol & Nicol in Birmingham with his son, George Salway Nicol (1878-1930). Essex and Goodman continued to run the practice which was renamed Essex & Goodman.
Essex was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1883 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1892. He was also elected a member of the Birmingham Architectural Association in 1876.
His address was given as Sandford Road, Moseley, Birmingham in 1883; Newhall Chambers, Newhall Street, Birmingham in 1892; Effingham House, Arundel Street, Stand, London in 1894; "The Chain", Church Road, Edgbaston, Kings Norton, Warwickshire (1901); Colmore House, 21 Waterloo Street, Birmingham in 1914 and 1935. Waterloo Place, Birmingham in 1935. He died in Birmingham on 1 February 1939
Architectural works by Essex & Nicol included four houses. Park Hill, Moseley, for John Munro (1887); 2, 4, 6, 8 Church Road, Moseley (1887); 128, 130 Anderton Park Road, Moseley for Oliver Essex (1897); Factory for Mary Hopkins ships' berth makers, Upper Trinity Street and Bowyer Street, Birmingham (1887); Shop and business premises for S. Mason, beer machinery manufacturers , Earl Street and Chapel Street, Birmingham (1888); Coventry Theatre, Coventry, Warwickshire (1888); Two houses, Prospect Road, Moseley (1888); House, Earl Street and Chapel Street for S. Mason (1888); Two Houses, 125, 127, Anderton Park Road, Moseley for Chas. Collins (1888); "Shipley Grange", Barnt Green, Worcestershire for Thomas Walker (1889); 10, 12 Wake Green, Moseley for W. Pewrcy Harrison (1889); Houses and shops, 19-24 Digbeth, Birmingham for Jos. Horton (1889); "Hill Crest", Church Road, Moseley (1889); 32, 34, Wake Green Road, Moseley for Oliver Essex (1889); House, Tindal Street, Birmingham for Mr. Parkes (1889); "Revesby", 36 Wake Green Road, Moseley for Edwin Fletcher (1889); House, Edgbaston Road and Park Hill, Moseley for John Pickering (1889); Shop for Hoskins & Sewell, bedstead manufacturers, High Street, Bordesley (1889); Shop and alterations for Crane & Son, file manufacturers, 2, 3 Moseley Street, Birmingham (1889); Shop for Mr. Mohr, Bradford Street, Birminghm (1889); Bakehouse for John Collins, High Street, King's Heath (1890); oHouse, Alum Chine, Bournemouth, Hampshire for W. C. Ginder (1890); Manufacturing premises for Martin & Martin, Granville Street, Birmingham (1890); House, 3 Park View, Alcester Road, Moseley for Thos Wilkinson (1890); 41 and 43 St. Agnes Road, Moseley for George Collins (1890); House, Wake Green Road, Modsely for F. Bromhall (1891); 17 Wake Green Road, Moseley for H. R. Hall (1891); Two houses, Highfield Road, Birmingham for John Parker (1891); Factory and shop for C. B. Partridge & Son, nicel platers, Northwood Street, Birmingham (1891); Factory for Thos. Cross, gun action maker, Vesey Street and Price Street, Birmingham (1891); Shop for Ward & Sons, gun manufacturers, St. Mary's Row, Birmingham (1891); Furnishing warehouse for J. W. Lill, draper, Bristol Street, Birmingham (1892); Steel warehouse for Edwin Bayliss. Weaman Street, Birmingham (1892); Factory for P. G. Allday, brass founders, Northwood Street, Birmingham (1892); Stables, etc., 15 Carpenter Road, Birmingham for Harry Berrell (1892); and "Athol Lodge", 6 Elmdon Road, Acock's Green for J. c. Nicol (1892).
Architectural works by Essex, Nicol & Goodman. New builds by the practice included "Greylands", Lichfield Road, Erdington for Dr. Aspinall (1893); "Glandore", Sutton Road, Erdington for Dr. Donovan (1893); Three semidetached houses, Chantry road, Birmingham for Oliver Essex and J. Parker (1893); Two houses, Chantry Road, Birmingham for Oliver Essex and J. Parker (1893); "La Fontaine", 40 Heathfield Road, King's Heath for G. Hynd (1893); Coach House, stable and conservatory, 54 Chantry Road, Birmingham for G. W. Dawes (1893); three semi-detached houses, Chantry Road,. Birmingham for Essex, Nicol & Parker (1893); Arcade and shops, Preston, Lancashire (1893); New offices for te Imperial Live Stock Ins. Corp., 17 Pall Mall East, London (1893); Builders' premises, Welches Hill for E. J. Charles (1893); Technical School, Suffolk Street, Birmingham for the Corporation of Birmingham (1893); Meat Market, Bradord Street and Sherlock Street, Birmingham, for the Corporation of Birmingham (1894); Business premises, warehouse and shops for R. Lunt & Co., Old Square, Birmingham (1894); Six houses, Ashfield Avenue, Birmingham, for R. Morton Hughes (1894); "The Chains", 1 Church Road, Edgbaston for Oliver Essex (1894); Two semi-detached houses, Prospect Road, Birmingham, for John Lewis (1894); "Wych Elms", coach house and stable, 215 Forest Road for Edward Hurley (1894) Six houses, Chantry Road, for E. J. Charles (1894); Residence, Chantry Road for James Percival (1894); Shops, cottages at rear, Alcester Road, Birmingham (1895); House and stables, 35 Westfield Road, Moseley for Walter Jones (1895): "Beverley", 22 Salisbury Road for John Goodman (1896); Two greenhouses and conservatory, Wake Green Road, for Mr. Harrison (1896); "Hill Crest", Lyttleton Road for E. Smallwood (1896); Premises, Newall Street and Cornwall Street for Dr. Ed Malins (1896); Business premises, Old Square, for Newbury's Ltd., drapers (1896); Business premises, Upper Priory, for Essex & Nicol (1896); Business premises, Cannon Street, Needless Alley, and New Street, Birmingham) for Clarence Property Co. (1897); Workmen's hall, club, etc., Newhall Street and Bread Street, Birmingham for W. T. Smedley & Others (1897); Business premises, Bull Street and Minories Street for George Berrill & Son, grocers (1897); Four Shops, Bristol Street and Barn Road, Birmingham for Essex & Nicol (1897); Three shops and offices, Broad Street, Birmingham, for Oliver Essex (1897); Shed, Conybere Street, Birmingham for Parkers Ltd., joiners (1897); Shops, Newtown Row, Birmingham for R. Baker (1897); Stable, coach house, etc., Westfield Road for H. Wright (1897); House vand business premises, 19 Drayton Road for R. Webb (1897); Residence, 37 Chantry Road, Birmingham for F. Pickering (1897); Two houses, 48 and 50 Salisbury Road, Birmingham for John Goodman (1897); "Lisshocawn", Birmingham Road, Solihull for C. J. Newbeury (1897); Business premises, Edgbaston Street, Birmingham for J. Collins (1898); Business premises, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, for J. C. Nicol (1898); Warehouse, Moseley Road and Edgbaston Road, Birmingham for Mr. Grew (1898); Shop, Northwood Street, Birmingham for Bent & Parker, buckle manufacturers (1898); House, 323 Hagley Road, Birmingham for J. F. Craig (1898); House, stables and coach house, 93 Alcester Road, Birmingham for J. F. Taylor (1898); Two houses, St. Bernard's Road, Olton for J. P. Achurch (1898); Shop, Stafford Street, for Harris & Sheldon, shop fitters and brass founders (1899); Shops, offices and business premises, Colmore Row, New Street and Waterloo Street, Birmingham for Birmingham Cental Estates Co. (1899); Business premises, Minories, Birmingham for Newbury's Ltd., drapers (1899); Business premises, Station Street, Birmingham for Lockerbie & Wilkinson, hardware merchants (1899); House on Chantry Road, Birmingham, for John Parker and Adie (1899); House, Chantry Road, Birmingham for John Parker (1900); Two shops with offices above, Paradise Street, Birmingham for Oliver Essex (1900); Three shops and dwellings, Bell Lane and Bristol Road, Birmingham for F. H. Morrison, grocer; shops, offices and consulting rooms, Easy Row and Edmund Street, Birmingham for Buildings Ltd. (1901); New premises, The Crescent, Handsworth, for Hill & Egginton, shop fitters (1901); Business premises, Upper Priory, Birmingham for J. C. Nicol (1901); New premises, Moat Lane, Birmingham for A. Shorthouse, meat salesman (1902); New premises, High Street, Birmingham for High Street Ltd. (1903); New premises, John Bright Street and Suffolk Street, Birmingham for E. B. S. Musgrave (1903); New Premises, Bull Street for Barrows Ltd., grocers, tea and coffee merchants (1903); "Stukely", 27 Farquar Road, Edgbaston, for J. P. Achurch; "Elmdon Lodge", 50 Yardley Road, Acock's Green for J. C. Nicol (1903); and Mission Church, Hobmoor Road, Birmingham for Rev. H. Jacob (1904).
Architectural works by Essex & Goodman included shop front, 13 Jamaica Row, Birmingham for A. Shorthouse, meat salesman (1905); Four shops, Horse Fair, Birmingham for Clarence Properties Co. (1906); Shops and commercial premises, Broad Street and Bishopsgate Street, Birmingham for P. C. Isacke (1906); Business premises, Colehill Street, Birmingham for W. Bach, spur manufacturer (1906); Factory, Lionel Street, for A. Clarke (1907); Alterations to premises, Digbeth, Birmingham for Warriner & Mason, tea merchants and grocers; four shops, Sandon Road, Birmingham for Dr. E. C. Rogers (1909); Office of Essex & Goodman, High Street, Harborne for Essex & Goodman (1909); Branch of London, City & Midland Bank, Bull Street, Birmingham (1910); Electric Theatre for Electric Playhouse Ltd. (1911); Warehouse for Newbury's Ltd., drapers, Great Hampton Street, Birmingham (1911); Motor House, Norfolk Road, Birmingham for Mr. Horsey (1911); Additions, Cromer Road, Birmingham (1911); Shop, Granville Street, Birmingham for Martins Birmingham Ltd., saddlers and leather goods manufacturers (1911); Factory, Eckershall Road, Birmingham for F. E. Baker (1912); Showroom for B. C. Jackson, Moseley Road, Birmingham (1912); Alterations to Billesley Farm, Brook Lane, Moseley for Moseley Golf Club (1913); New premises including post office, Warwick Road, Ackocks Green (1913); 'The Scala' picture house, Smallbrook for George Murray (1913); Warehouse, Hampton Street, Birmingham, for Newbury's Ltd., drapers (1913); New premises, The Crescent, Birmingham, for Eccles Walker & C. (1913); New Premises, Bishopsgate Street, Birmingham for Alfred Roberts, rubber tyre manufacturers (1913); Shop, Cherrywood Road, Birmingham for Calthorpe Motor Co. (1914); Business premises, Lower Temple Street, Birmingham for Ebenezer Parkes (1914); Alterations to St. Alban's church schools, Dynoke Sterr and Leopold Street, Birmingham (1914); Additions, South Road, Northfield for F. Sherwood (1914); Alterations, Westfield Road, Birmingham for P. R. Martin (1915); Strongroom, etc. Bull Street, Harborne for London Counties and Midland Bank (1915); "The Futurist" picture house, John Bright Street, Birmingham for Majestic Ltd. (1915); Extension of works, Cherrywood Road for Calthorpe Motor Co. (1915); New works, Burbidge Road, Buirmingham for P. Collins (1915); Workshop, Smallbrook Street, Birmingham Street, Birmingham for Scala Theatre (1916); Commercial building, Easy Row and Edmund Street, Birmingham for Clarence Property Co. Ltd. (1918); Alterations and additions to 67-68 St. Paul's Square, Birmingham for E. Armfield, button makers (1918); and Office and lavatory, Bartholomew Street, Birmingham (1918).
Abbott, Donald. ‘Essex, Nicol & Goodman’ in Birmingham’s Victorian and Edwardian Architects, edited by Phillada Ballard. Wetherby: Oblong Creative Ltd. for the Birmingham and West Midlands Group of the Victorian Society, 2009 pp. 197-220
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
‘Obituary’. Architect and Building News vol. 157, 10 February 1939 p. 183
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 156, 10 February 1939 p. 305
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 156, 17 February 1939 p. 350
‘Obituary’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 46, 1939 p. 632